The university presented an honorary doctor of science degree to John T. Hartley during spring quarter commencement exercises on the Auburn campus.
Retired chairman and chief executive officer of the Harris Corporation, a Fortune 500 company based in Melbourne, Fla.,Hartley is a 1951 chemistry and 1955 electrical engineering graduate.
He is the 133rd person to receive an honorary degree from AU in the institution's 140 year history. AU President William V. Muse presented the honorary degree on behalf of the board of trustees during commencement in BeardEaves Memorial Coliseum.
A former Navy officer, Hartley was an instructor in electrical engineering at Auburn while pursuing his second degree in the 1950s.
Hartley, who continues to serve on the executive committee of the Harris board, joined the Harris Corporation in 1956 as a research engineer and led the electronics company's development of integrated circuits during the 1960s.
He rose through the ranks to vice president, executive vice president, president, chief executive officer and, in 1987, chairman of the board, a post he held until retiring in 1995.
The corporate executive was appointed by former Presidents Reagan and Bush to the President's National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee and is a past chairman of the Defense Policy Advisory Committee on Trade. He also served as a trustee of the Committee for Economic Development.
Hartley is a past chairman of the National Association of Manufacturers, a former member of the board of trustees of the Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation, and a past member of The Business Roundtable and The Conference Board. He serves on the board of trustees of the Florida Institute of Technology, is a member of the Florida Council of 100 and serves on the executive committee of the Business Higher Education Forum.
He is on the boards of directors of McGrawHill Inc., The Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States and The Equitable Companies Inc.
The honorary degree recipient is a member of several honor societies and has been listed in Who's Who in America. Hartley holds the 1987 outstanding electrical engineering alumni award from Auburn and was inducted into the Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame in 1995.
He also was named Florida Industrialist of the Year in 1989 and Financial World CEO of the Year in 1992 and is a recipient of the Defense Department's Medal for Distinguished Service.
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